Pucha is a word that is used as a euphemism to refer to prostitutes or sex workers.
It is also an exclamation that expresses discontent, displeasure, anger, or sorrow.
SYNONYMS FOR Pucha
- Prostitute
- Surprise
- Displeasure
- Anger
ORIGIN OF Pucha
Apparently, the word is derived from “puchas,” meaning “mass of flour,” and in turn from the Latin word “pultis,” which gave rise to the terms “puchero” and “puches.”
However, its real origin remains uncertain. Some experts suggest that “pucha” is simply a euphemism for not calling a woman a “puta” or as an exclamation of anger or displeasure.
On the other hand, some people in Chile believe that it comes from the Mapuche word “puchacay,” which is an interjection of anger or perhaps pain.
This feminine singular noun is widely used in Chile and Argentina to refer to something bad and unpleasant, or to lament an event or fact. It has more common uses, especially in South America, as an expression of amazement at something unknown or unexpected.
However, “pucha” can have many other meanings depending on the region, such as “busto” (bust) in Colombia or “vagina” in Mexico. It can also mean a bouquet of flowers in Cuba and a type of bread in Mexico.
CURIOSITIES OF Pucha
In Metrology, it refers specifically to grains as an ancestral unit of measure, usually equivalent to about three pounds.
Another curiosity is that in the 19th century, when the independence movements began in Chile, the Chileans confiscated letters from the Spaniards, and one of them was from the governor in Chile to the king with the following words: “Pueblo Unificado Contra Hispanos Atacan” (Unified People Against Spanish Attack).
They took the initials as a mockery, that is, PUCHA. It is said that this is where its beginnings to refer to something unpleasant come from.